Premier League, Liberty Stadium - Swansea City 0 Chelsea 1 (Fabregas 4)
Cesc Fabregas scored the only goal of the game as Chelsea kept their Champions Leagues hopes afloat with a 1-0 win at relegation-threatened Swansea.
Earlier results on Saturday hadn’t gone Swansea’s way as 18th-placed Southampton closed the gap between the sides to just a point, and the pressure was ramped up on Carlos Carvalhal’s charges as they conceded after only four minutes. Andy King’s heavy touch gifted Chelsea possession and he was duly punished with Fabregas sweeping home from 20 yards for his 50th Premier League goal.
Things almost went from bad to worse for Swansea when Alfie Mawson went close to netting an own-goal but the defender had his blushes spared by the crossbar.
Swansea could have had little complaints if they trailed by two goals at the break, but the hosts improved towards the end of proceedings, though it was too little, too late.
Andre Ayew curled an effort wide from the edge of the box, while substitute Tom Carroll also failed to hit the target with a wicked shot from a similar position, as Chelsea held on for the victory which moves them to within two points of fourth-placed Tottenham.
Swansea, who have now gone six games without a win, remain out of the drop zone but are sitting precariously in 17th with only three games to play.
TALKING POINT
Swansea go down without much of a fight: They are supposed to be fighting for their lives, but Swansea didn’t play with enough intensity for large periods of the match. Carlos Carvalhal came into this contest having taken 13 points out of a possible 15 - and had already beaten Liverpool and Arsenal at the Liberty Stadium since the start of the calendar year - but they didn’t show enough belief that they could pull off another shock as Chelsea rolled into town.
The Portuguese has to pick his side up for the remaining three games, two of which are at home – against 18th-placed Southampton and 19th-placed Stoke. Their top-flight status remains in their own hands but they’ll have to improve to survive.
MAN OF THE MATCH
Cesc Fabregas (Chelsea) – He was everywhere in midfield: constantly linking-up with Olivier Giroud and finding space out wide to deliver dangerous crosses, as well as fulfilling his defensive duties.
PLAYER RATINGS
Swansea: Fabianski 7, Naughton 6, Van Der Hoorn 6, Mawson 7, Olsson 7, Roberts 7, Ki 5, Clucas 5, King 5, J Ayew 6, A Ayew 6. Subs: Dyer 5, Carroll 5, Routledge 5.
Chelsea: Courtois 6, Moses 6, Rudiger 6, Cahill 6, Azpilicueta 7, Emerson 7, Fabregas 8, Kante 7, Bakayoko 6, Hazard 5, Giroud 6. Subs: Morata N/A, Pedro 5, Willian 5.
KEY MOMENTS
4’ – GOAL! Swansea 0-1 Chelsea: Swansea concede possession cheaply in midfield, Bakayoko leads the break, he feeds Hazard who lays it off to Fabregas and the Spaniard sweeps it home first-time from 20 yards, into the top corner. It's his 50th Premier League goal.
21’ - CROSSBAR! Mawson inadvertently almost flicks the ball into his own net, but fortunately for him the ball skims off the top of the crossbar and bounces behind for a Chelsea corner.
74’ - MISS! Hazard's shot takes a deflection off Mawson and the ball falls kindly to Moses who only needs to touch it in... but he pokes it wide!
76’ - WIDE! Cahill gives Andre Ayew too much space as the Swansea forward shifts the ball onto his left foot and opens his body up but his curled effort from the edge of the box drifts inches wide of Courtois' post!
89’ - CLOSE! Carroll whips a first-time shot at goal from the top of the box... just wide! Courtois was struggling to get there. That could have been the moment for Swansea.
Swansea have gone six matches without a win - although four of those were away fixtures (D3, L3).
The Swans have only scored twice during the current winless run and are the division's joint-lowest scorers this season, along with Huddersfield.
Chelsea claimed a third successive Premier League away victory - having lost the previous three.
The Blues kept a clean sheet for the first time in eight league matches.
